Kryptos K4 - Core Dataset v1
Ryan Bonifacino
Version: v1.0
Release Date: 2025-11-25

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OVERVIEW
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This dataset accompanies a publicly released candidate solution and
generative method for the unsolved K4 section of Jim Sanborn's Kryptos
sculpture (1990).

It contains the minimal, self-contained core data required to independently
verify:

- the 97-character K4 ciphertext index model,
- the 86 plaintext-bearing positions,
- the structural null and header mask,
- the reconstructed running-key stream, and
- the provenance-mapped key-letter dataset derived from Cold War-era sources.

This dataset is intentionally limited to verifiable, machine-readable artifacts.
Narrative explanation, derivation logic, and historical analysis are published
separately in companion documents hosted on SSRN and GitHub.

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DATASET CONTENTS
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This Dataverse deposit contains the following files:

1. k4_index_scaffold_v1_final.csv
   - Complete 1-97 index scaffold for the K4 ciphertext
   - Includes ciphertext letters, plaintext letters (where applicable),
     header positions, and structural null designations

2. k4_null_mask_v1_final.csv
   - Explicit boolean mask identifying header and null positions
   - Designed for programmatic application of the running key
   - Independent of plaintext or key derivation logic

3. key_stream_v1_final.csv
   - The 86-character running-key stream
   - Derived independently via both algebraic reconstruction
     (Key = Cipher - Plain mod 26) and the generative method
   - Cipher-agnostic: aligned only at application time

4. key_letter_map_v1_final.csv
   - Mapping of each key letter to its historical source city
   - Includes spelling, rename/transliteration notes, error class,
     era persistence, and source references
   - Represents the historical constraint set underlying the generative method

5. README_dataverse.txt
   - This file

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METHODOLOGICAL CONTEXT
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The dataset supports a candidate solution for Kryptos K4 based on a
position-dependent running-key cipher.

Key characteristics:

- Alphabet: standard A=0 to Z=25
- Relation: Key = (Cipher - Plain) mod 26
- Header positions (indices 1-4) produce no plaintext or key
- Structural nulls at indices 34, 35, 66, and 94-97
- 86 plaintext-bearing indices in total

The running key is generated independently of the ciphertext through a
deterministic process grounded in:

- Berlin Weltzeituhr (World Clock) panel reconstructions (1969-1991)
- GDR-era atlases and time-zone tables (1953-1980s)
- Cross-era error detection (renamings, transliterations, zone shifts,
  geopolitical changes, panel substitutions)

The generative key stream is constructed prior to and independent of any
ciphertext application; alignment occurs only after key generation.

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RELATION TO OTHER PUBLICATIONS
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This dataset corresponds to:

- "A Reproducible Running-Key Candidate Solution for Kryptos K4"
  (Markdown v1, GitHub and SSRN)

- "Generative Method v0.1 - K4 Running-Key Reconstruction"
  (Methodological specification, GitHub and SSRN)

- Abstract and derivation files privately submitted to Jim Sanborn
  on 18 November 2025 and publicly released on 20 November 2025

The dataset is designed to allow independent verification without requiring
acceptance of the interpretive or historical arguments made in those documents.

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INTENDED USE
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This dataset is intended for:

- Independent cryptanalytic verification
- Reproduction of the running-key stream
- Programmatic testing of alternative hypotheses
- Scholarly review and archival preservation

It is not intended as a claim of correctness, only as a fully transparent,
reproducible data foundation.

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LICENSE
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This dataset is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International (CC BY 4.0) license.

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CONTACT
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Author: Ryan Bonifacino
Public profiles and contact links are available via the associated
GitHub and SSRN records.

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END OF FILE
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